TAMPA, Fla. – University of South Florida softball star Erica Nunn plans to leave the game while she’s at the top.

The left-handed pitcher is graduating in the spring, and has bigger dreams than sport to pursue in the fall.

Nunn is majoring in statistics, with minors in business and entrepreneurship, before she moves on to graduate school in September. She plans to pursue a degree in science and analytics at North Carolina State University.

“I knew I wanted to further my education so I could get more experience. I think the grad program is going to help me do that,” she said.

Nunn, an all-American scholar athlete, is a firm believer that as a student-athlete education must always come first.

“I know that softball will not pay my bills when I get out. I think it is very important for student athletes to take their education very seriously,” she said. “You could make it to the pros one day but get hurt the next and be out of a contract. By obtaining that college education you are a step ahead.”

After announcing her plans to move on, Nunn’s head coach, Ken Eriksen, addressed the team.

He said: “I think you’re just starting to see, right now, that she probably believes, as her teammates do, that she can beat anybody in the country. Don’t start getting emotional about the end of a four-year period before the end of the four-year period occurs. Play it out, all the way to the end and then let the game take care of itself.”

Nunn, who has a 3.73 ERA with a 5-5 record in 50.2 innings says: “I think we have a good shot at having a great season. I just want the ball as much as possible. I want our team to be successful.”

However, don’t be shocked if you still see Nunn around the game in small towns, such as her home of Apex, North Carolina. After grad school she intends to enjoy the game in a different way.

“I will definitely coach and if I have kids I will definitely coach them,” Nunn said. “I would love to give lessons to little girls who are learning how to pitch.

“I want to give back to the softball community because they gave so much to me.”